Common Ways to Use CBD Topicals: How to Use CBD for Golf

Coping With Common Golf Injuries

Even at the very top of the game, the neck and back are the weak points. Scottie Scheffler needed mid-round treatment for his neck during the second round of the 2024 Players Championship—“I could barely get the club back,” as he put it—and went on to win the tournament anyway. Most golfers don’t face the same stakes or scrutiny, nor have a physio waiting behind the 14th tee. The injury pattern, though, is entirely familiar.

While golf isn’t a contact sport, injuries are common. The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics counted an average of 8.6 million sports- and recreation-related injury episodes a year in the US, with the broad “recreational sport” category—golf, racquet sports, bowling, fishing and hiking among them—accounting for around 520,000 of those episodes.

Whether a player is a seasoned professional or a weekend warrior, most golf injuries stem from overuse. Tweaked backs, swollen elbows, strained shoulders and cricked necks can all happen from repeating a golf swing too many times in a row—or from swinging with poor form.

Like any workout, golfers can benefit from a little preventative maintenance. Stretching before stepping up to the tee can go a long way to reducing wear and tear on tendons, joints and ligaments. But sometimes a warm-up isn’t enough to avoid common golf injuries like:

• Lower back pain
• Sprains and strains
• Rotator cuff tendinitis
• Herniated disks
• Medial epicondylitis (often referred to as golfer’s elbow)
• Lateral epicondylitis (often referred to as tennis elbow)
• Bursitis (inflammation around major joints such as elbows, hips, shoulders and knees)
• Hip labral tears

CBD Oil for Golf: Recovery and More

Golfers are increasingly turning to CBD as part of how they manage the aches that come with the 531 million rounds of golf played in 2023.

For years now, players like Scott McCarron have used CBD oil as part of their preparation, citing better sleep and recovery. Indeed, according to ESPN, CBD brands have sponsored a number of pro golfers, including:

• Bubba Watson
• David Toms
• Vaughn Taylor
• DJ Trahan
• Kenny Perry
• Tom Kite
• Scott Piercy

As ESPN reported, it caught on fastest on the Champions Tour, where the players are older, have “rapidly changing bodies” and are looking for ways to keep competing through a demanding schedule. Some are also managing long-term conditions—PGA TOUR winner Tim Herron has spoken publicly about playing with Dupuytren’s contracture. More seasoned players might prefer CBD topicals to capsules and oils, however, for a few different reasons.

Some might be worried that ingesting CBD by mouth could lead to interactions with other medications they take. Others might feel cautious about operating golf carts or driving home safely from the links with CBD in their systems. Of course, some of those worries stem from a misunderstanding about CBD’s effects.

Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t produce an intoxicating high. Full-spectrum CBD products contain mainly CBD as the active ingredient, alongside trace amounts of THC and other compounds found in the plant. Those trace levels sit below the threshold that produces a high, while still contributing to the synergy between plant compounds.

Benefits of CBD Topicals for Golfers

That said, there are almost as many reasons to try CBD salves—rather than inhalable or edible options—as there are types of golf clubs.

One benefit of topical CBD products is they can be applied directly to the area you want to target, rather than working throughout the whole body. For added penetration through the skin in specific areas, many people incorporate CBD salves in conjunction with other approaches, like a massage.

Many golfers appreciate how easily salves can be reapplied before, during and after a round. But some players might worry that CBD topicals—especially CBD salves—will leave an oily residue on their smart golf attire. That wouldn’t make the best impression for anyone networking on the links or making the rounds at the country club.

Choosing the Right CBD Topical for Golf

If you’re wondering what to look for in a CBD topical, pick a formula built to absorb rather than sit on the surface—without making a mess of your chinos and golf shirts.

We formulated Entourus to be highly absorptive. The oils and fats in our CBD salves help carry fat-soluble cannabinoids and terpenes to endocannabinoid system receptors, but they don’t linger on the surface of the skin. No greasy golf glove here, and no handicap from a slippery grip!

Whether using Entourus essential oil topicals or terpene topicals, these CBD salves are typically reapplied every four to six hours—which covers a whole round and then some.

How to Use CBD Topicals for Golf

You might be wondering how to use CBD muscle cream, and worry not, as it's relatively straightforward.

Smooth on a layer of your CBD topical in the locker room before tee time. And if you sense the effects wearing off after your round, rub a little more on before you change for the club dining room. Follow up with best practices for cool-down and recovery like hydration, stretching and applying ice.

See for yourself why more and more golfers—and players of other racquet and club sports—view CBD as the future of hemp wellness.

Every Entourus salve uses full-spectrum CBD from non-GMO hemp grown in Central Oregon. Our CBD + Terpenes line adds a proprietary blend of more than fifty botanically derived terpenes, including limonene and humulene. Both lines come in 1000, 1500 and 2000 MG per 50 ML jar.

Learn more about cannabis topicalson our FAQ.